Waste of money

The small but controversial proposed housing development at Viewhill, near Balloch, Inverness, is well outwith sight of the National Trust for Scotland’s Culloden Battlefield, hidden from it by a large forest, and would replace some large, redundant and unsightly farm buildings with 16 relatively unobtrusive dwellings, close to where others already exist (your report, 8 January).

I would have more sympathy with the trust’s objections to the development if its own conservation efforts had extended to the battlefield itself, where the former, reasonably aesthetically acceptable, if somewhat poky visitor centre, was a few years ago replaced by a monstrous indulgence in 21st-century architectural new brutalism, which from the west gives an excellent impression of a Second World War German V-1 pilotless bomb-launching ramp. I’ve been assured by a senior NTS executive that the architect/designer was in fact a German.

A petition has been raised against the development and Highland councillors are considering taking legal action to challenge the Scottish Government Reporter’s decision to permit the development.

I for one will sign no petition unless someone raises one seeking to prevent councillors from wasting loads of scarce public money appealing the decision in the very expensive Court of Session.

Willie Morrison

Moray Park Avenue

Culloden, Inverness